Netfa holds a B.A. in History from the University of the District of Columbia (UDC) and has been a political organizer/activist since 1985. He served as coordinator of the Committee for Political Education at the Pan-African Resource Center (1985-1989) and has worked as a phone-bank fundraiser for the Committee in Solidarity with the People of El Salvador (CISPES 1988-1990).

Rene Gonzalez, the only member of the Cuban Five to be released from prison since their arrest in 1998 was interviewed by IPS' Netfa Freeman at the 9th International Colloquium for the Freedom of the Five and Against Terrorism held in Holguín, Cuba,